White chocolate & pistachio baked cheesecake with a ginger crust

This recipe from Orchards in the Oasis by Josceline Dimbleby is just a basic recipe for cheesecake.  

You can add any flavours to the cheese mix and use any biscuits you fancy for the base.

I chose white chocolate and pistachio after trying a similar flavour combination at Mrs Marengo's Vegetarian Cafe & Cake Shop, Soho.

150g ginger biscuits

50g butter, plus extra for greasing

225g curd cheese

2 tablespoons of whole milk

1 level tablespoon of cornflour

75g golden caster sugar

1/2 level teaspoon of salt

2 large free-range eggs, separated

icing sugar for dusting (optional)

110g shelled pistachios, finely chopped

100g white chocolate, melted

50g white chocolate chunks

Butter a loose-based 22-23cm round cake tin.  Crush the biscuits in a food processor and turn into a large bowl.  Melt the butter, pour onto the biscuits and stir to combine.  Press evenly over the bottom of the cake tin and chill.

Heat the oven to 170oC.  Put the cheeses into a food processor with the milk, cornflour, caster sugar, salt egg yolks and melted white chocolate if using. Whiz thoroughly and turn into a bowl.  In a clean bowl, whisk the eggs whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks and gently fold into the cheese mixture along with the white chocolate chunks, using a metal spoon.  

Pour the mixture into the chilled base.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until it feels only just set to a soft touch in the centre.  

Leave to cool completely.

Sift with icing sugar or dab on some gold leaf for extra decadence!